Chapter 808: Taking Over The Troll Mountain (1)
The wind died down, leaving behind only the stillness of a desecrated camp. But their anger didn’t fade. It fueled them as they moved through the camp like a relentless storm, freeing the remaining laborers and tearing down every last chamber of depravity. Every stone, every filthy corner of the orcs’ twisted creation was razed to the ground, reduced to ashes in their wake.
And by the time the last building was destroyed, they stood as an army. Five hundred elves strong, united in their shared suffering and righteous fury.
As they regrouped, their eyes turned toward Findir, who stood at the forefront of their march. Despite his appearance—his skin no longer dark from the curse—there was no hesitation in their recognition. He was a dark elf in their eyes, a warrior who had led them to freedom. And though his skin no longer bore the mark of his heritage, they saw something far more important in him: a leader, one they could follow without question.
Findir’s heart raced as he looked out over the crowd. The weight of their gazes made his pulse quicken, but there was no resentment, no disdain. Only unwavering respect.
For the first time in his life, Findir wasn’t just a shadow—he was a force to be reckoned with. And he would lead them forward.
...
(Orion POV)
(About Two Weeks Ago)
Over the past week, the prison had become a place of suffocating isolation. Where once prisoners could peer out through the bars into the dimly lit hallway separating their cells, those small slivers of visibility had been cut off. Thick slabs of stone now sealed each cell, ensuring that no one could even glimpse their fellow captives. The atmosphere grew even heavier, thick with tension and a looming sense of dread. It felt as though the walls were closing in, suffocating what little hope the prisoners had left.
Amid these changes, another loss struck the group. The elf who had sent his leopard to aid Findir had perished, an unforeseen tragedy that shattered the fragile balance in their already crumbling world. The moment Findir discovered the elf’s death, he snapped. He was no longer the composed and level-headed fighter they had come to rely on. His panic spiraled out of control, an emotional breakdown threatening to engulf him entirely.
Bella, Cy, and Aisa initially tried to calm him, offering a chance for him to regain his senses and assist them in their plans. They approached him gently, their voices filled with concern, trying to guide him back from the edge of madness. But as they worked to ease his mind, Orion and Luna exchanged knowing glances. The elf had become a liability—his unpredictability and panic now posed a dangerous risk to their fragile situation. They recognized that no matter the good intentions Bella and the others had, keeping him around was a threat they could not afford.
Orion, his icy demeanor steady, led the way. Luna, never one to question the necessity of a cold decision, followed suit. Together, they convinced Bella, Cy, and Aisa of the truth—the elf had to be dealt with. There was no hesitation after that. The group moved swiftly, surrounding the elf, their combined power easily overwhelming him.
The elf’s screams echoed against the stone walls, but there was no mercy, no hesitation. In a matter of moments, they slaughtered him, leaving behind nothing but his broken body. His golden pendant, hidden beneath his tunic, was the only thing that remained, glinting faintly in the dim light.
After another week, the tension in the prison had thickened, almost unbearable in its quiet, oppressive weight. The prisoners had grown restless, their movements more agitated as rations dwindled to near nothing. Aisa, the sharpest among them with her finely tuned senses, could no longer detect the trolls outside. At first, it had seemed an opportunity, but with no guarantee of safety, they continued to wait, collecting scraps of information while their food grew smaller and smaller. Hunger gnawed at the prisoners, pushing them to the edge.
Violence broke out among the desperate. In the dim light of their prison, fights erupted over the dwindling portions. The sound of flesh hitting flesh, the sickening thuds of bodies hitting the ground, and the wet gurgles of the dying filled the cramped space. Several prisoners ruthlessly killed each other, driven to madness by starvation. Yet, despite the growing chaos, no one dared touch Orion and his group. Their mere presence exuded enough threat to keep the other prisoners in check, a reminder of the power they held.
Days later, Aisa sensed something unusual. Her instincts alerted her to the presence of prisoners who had escaped earlier—now returning to free more people. Earth magic churned through the walls, creating a small tunnel that wound through the thick stone that had once imprisoned them. The walls groaned and shifted, making way for an escape route. It was a tense moment, the prisoners watching in disbelief as freedom beckoned, and soon, one by one, they slipped through the tunnel.
Orion led his group with calculated precision, avoiding the trolls’ main base as they fled in the opposite direction. His family followed closely, their hearts racing as they finally breached the surface and came upon the open expanse once more. But the sight that greeted them wasn’t the bustling fortress they had once feared—it was eerily silent.
The air felt thick, weighted by an unnatural stillness. The only sounds that broke the quiet were the faint creaking of ropes holding up wooden planks and the occasional crack of rocks shifting beneath the immense weight of the mountain above. The towering structures, once filled with the roar of trolls, now stood empty, abandoned. A stillness settled over the scene like a suffocating blanket, making every step feel like an intrusion into a ghostly, forgotten place.
Luna stepped forward, her sharp eyes scanning the expanse. She took in the wooden scaffolding, the sagging supports, and the faint vibrations from the mountain above. Her mind pieced together the scene before her, the silence heavy with a truth that unsettled her.
"This place is unstable," Luna said quietly, her voice cutting through the tense air. "It must have required constant maintenance—likely from the Troll King himself, or at least his elite workers, to keep it from collapsing."
Orion turned to her, waiting for her conclusion.
"But with the Troll King leading his army against the orcs, no one’s been here to manage it," Luna continued, her eyes narrowing as she looked up at the creaking beams and shifting stone. "This place is going to collapse. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but in a few weeks, this entire mountain will cave in."
The reality settled in, a ticking clock that seemed to echo in the now hollow fortress. They had a narrow window before the entire structure fell into ruin, and it would bury anyone who remained. For now, the mountain held, but Luna’s deduction left no room for complacency.
Orion gave a short nod, his gaze shifting toward the deeper parts of the base. "We’ll use this place while we can... but we won’t stay long."
As they moved through the silent, cavernous expanse of the abandoned troll fortress, the group kept their eyes peeled for anything of value—treasure, weapons, something they could utilize. The eerie quiet was broken only by their footsteps echoing off the stone walls and the occasional creaking of the unstable wooden beams overhead. Their minds, however, couldn’t help but wander to thoughts of Findir, wondering where he was, and what he might have been doing in the week they’d been apart.
"He’s probably making his way back here by now," Cy muttered, casting a glance at the dark tunnels ahead as if expecting their missing companion to emerge from the shadows at any moment. "It’s been a week since we split up. What do you think he’s been up to?"
"Whatever it is, you can bet it wasn’t peaceful," Bella added, smirking slightly. "Findir doesn’t exactly shy away from trouble."
Orion, usually quiet in such moments, spoke up. "He could have gotten caught up in the war. With the orcs involved, it’s hard to say where he might’ve gone."
Aisa, who had been listening quietly, finally interjected, her voice carrying a sense of certainty that silenced the speculative chatter. "Findir’s not the type to sit back and watch a war unfold. Not when the orcs are involved."
She glanced around at the group, her expression unwavering. "The orcs are a nasty race, and there’s no way he’d let them have a chance at winning. He probably threw himself right into the middle of the conflict. That’s just how he is."
The others looked at her, their curiosity piqued. Aisa knew Findir better than anyone, and her insight was invaluable when it came to predicting his actions.
"He’s probably helping wipe them out," Aisa continued, her voice steady. "And he wouldn’t ignore the trolls either. They’re a threat, same as the orcs. Findir might act like he’s indifferent sometimes, but he’s not going to just let this play out while there’s a chance to tip the scales. He’s out there doing what he does best."
Bella frowned, a hint of worry creeping into her voice. "You’re sure he’s okay? I mean, even for Findir, a war’s no joke."
Aisa gave a small, almost amused smile. "He’s not going to die that easily. You don’t have to worry about him. Findir’s survived worse than this."
Her confidence reassured the group, but a lingering tension remained in the air. The thought of Findir out there, possibly locked in a bloody battle, weighed on them. Still, Aisa’s certainty gave them some comfort. If anyone could handle the chaos of war, it was Findir.
As they continued searching the fortress, their conversation drifted back to thoughts of their missing companion, but the fear of his demise no longer loomed as heavily. Aisa’s words had settled their nerves. Whatever Findir was doing, they knew he would return.
